There has been no effective learning and teaching at Mseki Primary School in Gugulethu since 16 February because angry parents have been protesting about overcrowding and non-payment of staff at the school.

All classes have been put on hold as a result.

Parents say some teachers were last paid in November 2016.

Phunyezwa Sonqishe, a parent and former SGB) member, said the protest was informed by challenges which the school was faced with.

“There is a crisis here. Classes are overcrowded and this problem started in 2012.

The Western Cape Education Department is dragging feet in providing the school with mobile classes. They are sending us from pillar to post...the are three teachers who have been working on contract since 2015 and two of them were last paid in November(last year),” Sonqishe said.

She said the school decided to convert the school hall to two classes to try and resolve the problem(of overcrowding), but the department is not pleased with that.

She said Grade 7 is the most overcrowded class as it has 65 learners instead of the required 35.

Sonqishe also said lamented the fact that WCED said they are no longer interested in services of one of the temporal teachers, because she is 50 years old.

“We as parents are satisfied with her work and we want her to continue. We wrote a motivational letter to the department regarding the matter, but still they said she must go. We have had a number of meetings with authorities, but they are just playing with our minds.

They said we are not on the list of schools that are due to get mobile classes, but other authorities told us that they were approved. We are going to continue with the protest until they give us what we want,” she added.

Millicent Merton, on behalf of the department, said there are plans put in place to try resolve the problem.

“The school enrolled 35 more learners this year...as a result, some of the classrooms are crowded.

Our district office will assist the school with teaching strategies to manage large classes. We call on parents not to disrupt teaching and learning at our schools. All the teachers at the school received their salaries,” Merton said.

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